


Everything Changes

by Rated_E_for_Erin



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Cryptology, Depression, Gore, POV First Person, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Weirdmageddon, Puzzle Solving, Swearing, Violence, idk everything is subject to change, mentions of abuse, rated explicit just in case i decide to be explicit in the future lol, thats the name of the fic, what to you expect from me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2020-05-13 12:35:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19251319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rated_E_for_Erin/pseuds/Rated_E_for_Erin
Summary: Kimi Aisling, historian, and cryptologist of Native American descent has recently found herself under the employment of one Dipper Pines after loosing her job. The journal he has employed her to decrypt is unsettling at best and a downright abomination at worst.  Will she be able to find out what secrets the strange encryptions hold? Or will she be tricked into dooming the town of Gravity Falls for a second time?





	1. Plain Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for having a look at my fic. Its been a very long time since i've written fanfiction but I really do miss it. So Ive decided to pick it back up. I hope you enjoy :)

Plain Valley is just as it's name would suggest. Boring, dull... plain. But to me, it was home and always had been. True, I often longed for something more. Some kind of adventure or excitement but I was complacent enough with my life. Nothing ever happened in Plain Valley and that was okay for the most part.

The loud sound of my alarm clock awoke me with a stir. I quickly slammed a fist on the dismiss button and rolled onto my back, green eyes blinking against the harsh light of the morning. Coarse brunette curls splayed across the pillow under my head like a large halo, Im sure. Mornings were always difficult, I found it hard to push back the dreams that entangled me during sleep. But there was nothing to be done about it, I worked from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday at the Plain Valley Historical Museum and would get a write up if not on time. So with a groan and a curse, I lifted myself up and threw off the blanket.

I had a routine, as everyone does. Make coffee, shower, check emails and then leave for work. Most emails were about new archaeological findings or other work related messages. Today however, I was greeted with something surprisingly different.

TO: Kimi Aisling  
FROM: Dipper Pines  
SUBJECT: Cryptologist wanted

My eyes skimmed it again, before clicking on the email. I'd never heard the name Dipper Pines and I knew almost everyone in Plain Valley, it was a fairly small town.

"Ms. Aisling,  
I'm looking for a good cryptologist to decrypt and interpret something that belonged to a family member of mine. While looking for someone in the area, I came across your name on the Plain Valley Museums website and saw that it listed this as one of your skills. If you're interested, i'd like to meet in a public place to work out the details. Im willing to pay very well. I hope to hear from you soon.  
Sincerely,  
Dipper Pines"

That was definitely more than a bit odd. I hadn't done freelance work for a long time and even then, that was for the museum before they decided to take me on full-time. That was another issue, my job was already exhausting. Would there be any time to work on a commission? And cryptology? Yeah, it was a skill of mine that I learned in college but it was rarely implemented or needed in her work. I was sure I must be a bit rusty by now.

But then again... it could be a fun project to take on.

I mentally debated with myself for a while, making a list of possible pros and cons.

TO: Dipper Pines  
FROM: Kimi Aisling  
SUBJECT: RE: Cryptologist wanted  
"Dear Mr. Pines,  
I'm sad to say that my job at the museum takes up a lot of my time. Im not sure how quickly I would be able to decrypt anything. However, I would like to meet as I'm interested in what you've said. I suggest Sunday, noon at the cafe in downtown Plain Valley. Please let me know if this works for you. Thank you for taking me into consideration.  
Sincerely,  
Kimi Aisling"

It was simple and too the point. Though halfway through the email I noted that he hadn't mentioned what said item was. After hitting 'send' I was out the door as it was 8:45 and I really didn't want to get written up.

If only I had known.

"Good morning, Kimi." Thomas, head of staff called to me a I entered the staff room. He was an older man in his late 60's and had been there much, much longer than myself or the other historians and staff. He was nice enough, with big spectacles that covered eyes with crows-feet at the corners and a balding head.

"Morning." I greeted as she took a seat with some of her co-workers and waited for the rest of the staff to file in.

Most of the men and women who worked there were between their 20's and 40's although older teens were sometimes hired to sell tickets or sweep the floors. The city owned the place and would occasionally let people go to, claiming there wasn't enough profit to keep everyone around. I'd been lucky enough to dodge being sacked because really needed this job as there weren't any others that I could use her degree in. At least not in Plain Valley.

Finally, everyone had shuffled in. Their eyes blurry with sleep, coffee in hand. Thomas began the morning briefing, instructing what needed to be done and who needed to be doing it. This is how everyday went. The only change that ever occurred was the task I would have. Some days it might be upkeep of the artifacts, other days it might be tours, etcetera.

The day came and went.

I had plopped myself down on the couch, tired from the days work. My head tilted back and I looked up at the ceiling, as I often did at the end of a long day at work. It burned a yellowish hue in the fading daylight and I couldn't help but sigh and wish it was the weekend already. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander.

The weekend...

Saturday...

"Oh!" After recalling the email I had gotten that morning, I quickly retrieved my laptop.

TO: Kimi Aisling  
FROM: Dipper Pines  
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Cryptologist wanted  
"Ms. Aisling,  
I'm excited to hear that you're interested! Sunday at noon sounds perfect to me. Thank you for this. I'll see you then.  
Sincerely,  
Dipper Pines"

Well, that was much more enthusiastic than the first one. I couldn't help but feel the corner of my mouth tug into a smirk and wonder who exactly he was. His first email sounded so professional, not to mention the promise to pay well so it would be reasonable to assume this was an older man. Then again this email made him sound like an excited kid.

"Ill find out soon enough I guess." Pushing the laptop closed, I curled in on myself feeling so drained and once again closed my eyes.  
Maybe something was about to change.

The sky was on fire. The sky was on fire and I was going to be burned up with it. My legs were carrying me through a dense forest, not knowing where to go. I just knew she had to be far away from... What was I running from? I turned my head to look, legs not daring to stop as the adrenaline and need for survival coarsed through my veins. A large X marked the sky and through that X spilled nightmares and demons the likes of which I had never seen before.

My vision flashed a brilliant white as I saw images of many things. A large evergreen tree being chopped, a fez in a pool of red, a torn sweater and finally, a severed hand.  
My mind didn't have time to catch up with the things I'd just seen, I had to run. i couldn't let him-

I woke up with a start as her phone ringed obnoxiously. I was panting, chest heaving with every breath and heart beating fervently against my rib cage. The remaining bits of the dream were fleeting, becoming less clear every moment. I hadn't had a dream like that for a long time.  
  
I quickly pushed the thought away and reached into her jacket pocket. "DAD" flashed on the screen like some annoying neon lights you might see outside of a gas station window. A picture of me and my father, Jack Aisling.

"Hey dad." I answered, trying my best to sound unaffected and light.

"Hey sugarplum! How was work?"

The conversation went on as it would any time he called. We would talk about the weather or the local news or my fathers pet dog, Duke. It took a while before I could finally get away again. It's not that I dont love my father, I just needed space. Nothing had ever been the same since mother had passed. That's the only thing that had ever changed in Plain Valley.

After a long while of staring at the wall and thinking over the dream (the bits I could remember, at least) I finally stood and got herself ready to properly go to bed instead of sleeping on the couch.

* * *

Sunday arrived quickly and I found myself in the Three Sisters Cafe in downtown Plain Valley. I had scanned the place when I first arrived, looking over the very few faces to see if the person I had pictured in her head was there. But no one beckoned her to sit at a booth or greeted her with a wave. It was a bit before noon, he still had time to arrive. I had a seat at one of the booths, in a place where Id be able to see the doors. A server came to take my order, which was just a simple coffee. It was served quickly with a few cups of creamer and packets of sugar. Idly, my hands worked to sweeten my drink. I wondered to myself, what could this object be that needed decrypted? A laptop or computer would be most logical. He had said it belonged to family member. Perhaps a family member with many secrets. It's not an uncommon thing, I should know.  
Suddenly, the bell above the cafe door rang and in walked a young man. His eyes surveyed the room as if he was looking for someone. Finally, they landed on me. Up until then he had been wearing a neutral expression which shifted into a polite smile. I stood as he approached and held my hand out for him to shake.

"You must be Dipper Pines?"

"Ah, yeah. You're Kimi, right?" Dipper took my hand and we went to set across from each other.

The way he spoke caught me off guard. He sounded a bit nervous. Not only that but he was dressed so casually. A simple jacket, t-shirt, hat, jeans and backpack. And he was only mid-twenties or so, younger than me. Its not that I was upset, I just wasn't expecting this.

"Uh," He stared at me, mouth agape. "you look surprised? Is everything okay?"

I realized I must have been making a face and quickly corrected myself. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to be so young."

"Oh."

There was a small silence, as he fumbled to remove his backpack.

"Should I call over the waitress?"

"Ah! No, no, it's okay."

He interlaced his fingers and looked out the window, as though to calm himself. The silence continued once more. I got the feeling that he wasn't used to social interaction. Maybe he needed an icebreaker? No, I internally reprimanded myself, you're here to learn about a potential job. Not make friends. Finally he let out a sigh.

"So," I said to get his attention, "This object, is it a laptop?"

"Uh, no-" He reached for his pack, pulling out a red leather book "it's this journal."

I reached my hand out for him to let me have a look at it. Dipper clung to it as he stared at my open palm. His mouth was turned into a slight frown, eyebrows furrowed. This thing must have been awfully important to him, otherwise I dont think he'd have reacted this way. I put on my warmest smile. "I'm not going to tear it up. I just need to have a look to assess weather I can decrypt it or not."

"Sure."

Ever so slowly, he placed the book in my hand. He kept his eyes on the journal as I drew it close, shoulders tensing as I opened it. He visibly relaxed as I turned the first page. What in the world was that all about? I now turned my eyes down the book. It was written in English, which I wasn't expecting. I flipped through a bit more.

"Mr. Pines-"

"You can just call me Dipper"

"Right. Uh well, Dipper, I dont see any encrypted text."

He placed his finger at the very edge of one of the pages I was on. Faintly, ever so faintly, I could make out some symbols. They were nothing I had seen before.

"There's also things like this," He flipped to another page. This one definitely caught me off guard. Emblazoned in cursive writing on the left page was the word "Leprecorn" and on the opposite page was an illustration of exactly what the word conveyed. I did my best to suppress a laugh but it was just so unexpected. I looked to Dipper to see him quickly change from expression of hurt to one of masked indifference. He pointed to a scramble of words on the page. This was more my speed.

"Maybe a caeser cipher." I mumbled to myself. I started to flip page absent-mindedly again, searching for nonsense words and hieroglyphs.

"Theres also numbers. I need to figure out what they say."

"By the way," I said looking to him "You're not from around here are you? I know or have at least heard of everyone in town but I've never heard of you."

"Ah you got me there. I'm actually from California originally but I'm calling Gravity Falls home at the moment."

My hands stuttered.

"Gravity Falls?"

"Uh... Yeah?"

I looked up at him. Was there something I hadn't noticed before? What was it? What was it that I had missed to indicate he was from there.

"It's only about an hour and a half away from here. You know, it's a pretty nice place."

"I'm familiar with it." I looked him over a few more times. Then again, something in the back of my head chimed, he said he wasn't originally from there. Maybe he had been unaffected by it. Yes, he was probably a perfectly fine man and I was just overthinking it. I turned my gaze back to the book.

"Me and my twin like to visit it every now and again. But she couldn't come this-"

I physically recoiled after turning to a page that depicted something I had been warned about growing up. A triangle with an eye, limbs and a bow-tie.  
"I wont do it."

Quickly, I made to leave. Clumsily gathering my things and throwing a $5 on the table. I would not be coerced into decrypting a book that contained the very thing my ancestors claimed to drive them from their home. I am not always so superstitious but I could remember the story my mother had told me when I was very young. A medicine man driven to complete madness by something beyond comprehension.

Dipper also stood, gathering his things. "But- Just wait a second!"

"I'm very sorry!" I called, trying to leave as quickly as I could. However, he caught my arm outside.

"Please! You're the only cryptologist in Roadkill County. I _need_ your help." His eyes looked so pleading. I felt awful.

"I cant do it." I grunted, pulling my arm from his grasp and made my leave.

I guess I was wrong. Nothing ever changes in this place, I should have known that.

The loud sound of my alarm clock awoke me with a stir the next morning. I quickly slammed a fist on the dismiss button and rolled onto my back, eyes blinking against the harsh light of the morning. With a groan and a curse, I lifted myself up and threw off the blanket. Coffee, shower, emails.

TO: Kimi Aisling  
FROM: Dipper Pines  
SUBJECT: About yesterday

I deleted the email without opening it and left for work.

"Good morning, Kimi." Thomas called as I entered.

"Morning."

Beside him stood a well-dressed man. Thomas looked sad, which was odd, he was always smiling. It was nothing, probably. I stared at my hands, waiting for the rest of the staff to shuffle in. Yesterday had certainly been odd. I should have known from the moment Dipper mentioned Gravity Falls that the whole thing was bad news. My mother had told me so many stories of that place. Creatures that had never been observed, dangers that could kill a man in the open without people noticing and an insanity that seemed to spread to whoever had the misfortune of stepping near the place. But it was that illustration that had made me snap. I knew that there was no such thing as a triangle that walked and talked but it obviously represented something. Something dark. Perhaps a secret society, as ridiculous as that sounds. As I said before, I am usually a skeptic but when it came to matters like this? I was intent on staying far away from whatever that man had gotten into. I wanted no part in it.That place had cursed my ancestors. And possibly myself.

Thomas cleared his throat when everyone had filed in and taken their seats. But instead of continuing with the tasks of the day, the man in the suit spoke. He wore a shiny smile that was only befitting of some sort of politician.

"I'm very sorry to inform you all that as of today, the museum is being shut down."

A few people began muttering at this.

"Permanently."

Now there was an eruption of gasps and infuriated chatter. I could only stare at my hands. This couldn't be happening.

"I am so sorry but the city counsel has decided the museum is no longer profitable."

The chattering faded like white-noise. This couldn't happen. Where would I go? I couldn't pay my bills and afford to live without this job. I couldn't move back in with my father. My mind went blank like the white-noise.

Bright yellow light. I felt my eyes water as they adjusted to it. I was standing on a cliff, my feet planted firmly as though I had been standing there for a long time. In the distance I could make out the shape of a water tower and the glint of a waterfall. Below was a small, quiet town. The view was almost serene as the sun was setting a brilliant red orange.

I snapped back to reality, my eyes adjusted to the dimmer florescent lights of the staff room. Everyone was leaving and either mumbling or crying as they made their way out. The drive home was completely quiet and when I finally sat down at home, it was even quieter. This job had been my life for the past 5 years. What was I going to? My mind blanked. Nothing. I could do nothing besides get a job as a waitress or something and move back in with my father. I was powerless. My mind drifted back to the strange vision I had encountered. I could feel my face twist into slight confusion. Sure, I had vivid dreams occasionally but that was something different. Nothing like that had ever happened while I was awake.

I dont know how long I laid there but I know it must have been a while. I pulled my laptop from the coffee table and opened it. My email was still open. One unread message.

TO: Kimi Aisling  
FROM: Dipper Pines  
SUBJECT: I need your help

No, I thought as i quickly deleted it, I did not need more to stress about right now.

My dad called later that night. I didn't want to tell him I lost my job, so I just told him I was busy and hung up. I crawled into bed shortly after that, praying for some rest.

* * *

It had been a week since I lost my job at the museum and it was nearing the end of the month. Every posting for 'help wanted' I found was minimum wage. My fate was basically sealed. I'd finally told my father what happened and he said he was happy to have me back at home for a while. I just wanted freedom. I wanted to be able to live. But what if, I thought for a fleeting moment, I accepted the job Dipper had to offer. I audibly scoffed as soon as I had finished the thought. Just a week ago I was terrified of the idea. He hadn't stopped emailing me though. Maybe I was letting my superstition get the best of me.

I eyed the last email he had sent me warily before opening it

TO: Kimi Aisling  
FROM: Dipper Pines  
SUBJECT: Please  
"Kimi,  
Please just email me. We can work out whatever concerns you have. I need your help, I cant do this alone. I'm willing to pay whatever you want. Please reach out to me.  
-Dipper Pines"

I rested my head against the couch, staring at the ceiling. My fate was sealed. There was nothing else I could do.

TO: Dipper Pines  
FROM: Kimi Aisling  
SUBJECT: RE: Please  
"Ill do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wonder how she'll manage? guess we'll just have to wait and see. by the way, i literally had to google "how to write a business email" lmao. hopefully my chapters in the future will be much longer but for some reason I find it hard to write really long chapters. Any and all feedback is much appreciated. <3


	2. False Idol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kimi heads down to Gravity falls and settles in a bit

This was ridiculous. Stupid, even.

The large pines that flanked the road whizzed past the windows of my station wagon and the evening sun was settling in front of me as if it was deliberatily trying to hinder my vision. I had noticed very early on that few other cars were making the trip from Plain Valley to Gravity Falls or the other way around. Packing my belongings had been fairly easily, Ive always been a minimalist and thankfully the furniture in my apartment had belonged to the land-lord. Though, I couldnt help stopping a few times and simply staring at the walls of the place. It had been my home for around 5 years and here I was up and leaving. But I quickly assured myself that once I had the money Dipper had promised me, I'd return. I'd move back in and figure out a way to convince the counsel to re-open the museum. I could could bribe them, possibly.

I will be the first to admit that the amount Dipper was offering was incredibly lucrative. Then again, he seemed desperate. Maybe the author of this journal had been someone close who passed? He possibly wanted closure. I could understand. I would have killed for closure regarding the death of my mother. No answer was ever good enough as to why it had happened. I really didn't like thinking about it.

"Welcome to Gravity Falls" the large sign greeted as I passed. A shiver crawled its way down my spine. Never in my life had I ever planned on coming here.

If you live in Roadkill County, or if you happened to ever pass through Oregon, it's possible that you've heard about it. Whether you saw it on a bumper sticker or had a clerk mumble about "weirdos" or "freaks". If you ask anyone who lives in the surrounding area about it, they will give you one of two possible answers.

1.) They will shrug and say they've never heard about it. Which is a lie.  
2.) They go on about some story they heard from someone which may entail ghosts, monsters or any variation of the supernatural.

As I said before, I'm skeptical of almost everything. I dont believe in the paranormal. No, I believed there was something more destructively human go on in that town. It could range from a number of things from mass hallucinations to a human trafficking to simple pranks played on tourists. The last of those was probably the most likely answer but I just couldn't help the nagging in the back of my head. As I've said before, my mother told me a lot of stories about that place. I'm a descendant of the long-scattered tribe that once occupied Gravity Falls and a historian for the county. The indigenous population evacuated to the surrounding areas even before the Europeans settled in Oregon, though there are many different theories why. Records claim that there must have been some great natural disaster. However, folklore suggests differently.

Once upon a time, there was a great shaman named Modoc, the chief's right-hand. He was so very wise and would always know what was best for the people. But in time, his ways became stranger and stranger. He advised our people to turn away from The Great Spirit and instead worship a strange idol. The people and the chief trusted the shaman, he had never been wrong before. So they created paintings, pottery, totems, all in the name of this new idol. Its name is lost to time. It's image is not. A triangle with a singular eye. Little did the shaman know, he had been trick by a spirit of evil intent. The shaman was instructed to build an odd construction of which he didn't understand at all. Eventually, he was driven to complete madness, setting himself on fire in front of the whole tribe. Out of fear that they would be next, our people left what is now known as Gravity falls but not before leaving a warning to all that entered.

That was the story my mother told me. Obviously it stuck with me, I have trouble looking at dollar bills without cringing because of the pyramid emblazoned on them. I figure it's most likely that the story traumatized me in some way or another. Now, I am left with an inner conflict. On one hand, I am a firm believer in denying something until there's enough evidence to prove otherwise and on the other... my mother's own superstition bled into me.

I sighed, trying to release some of the tension that had built up in my shoulders and scanned the buildings coming into view. Dipper had said to meet him at a diner called "Greasy's" which, if you ask me, is a ridiculous name. Just as ridiculous as what I was doing. I looked in my rear view, contemplating. It wasn't too late to turn back. I could just do a u-turn and act like this never happened.

But I didn't do that. I turned into the diner parking lot and killed the ignition, white-knuckling the steering wheel.

"It's fine, Kim-" I looked into the mirror again, instead scrutinizing my appearance "If anything feels off, or if you get into something bad, you can always just leave." I've always had a bad habit of talking to myself when I think no one is around. Of course, if someone were to ever hear me, I would deny it.

After fiddling with my hair a bit, I plucked up the courage to open the door and meet my fate.

The diner was an old giant oak log, flipped onto it's side, embellished with windows and a sign stating "We have food". Well I would certainly hope they do. It's a restaurant after all. I made my way inside and sat at a booth. The place was practically empty, save for a couple of sheriffs and a burly red-head at the bar. A jukebox and one of those scam strength-test games sat on either end of the room, respectively.

"Well howdy there, stranger! Coffee?" She was an older woman with grey hair and a lazy eye. I nodded and she filled a mug, placing it in front of me.

She asked if she could get anything more for me and I politely declined. No offense to her or the establishment, but I could understand why it was called "Greasy's". Susan (as her name-tag read) told me to "just holler" if I needed anything, taking her place back behind the counter.

My eyes met the windows as I tensely waited for Dipper, idly sipping my coffee. Although I didn't want to be in this town, I'll admit that the place was quaint. I could sit there for a long time and just watch the clouds roll by lazily as the sun set them a satisfying shade of orange. That's exactly what I did for a while, losing my self in mind-numbing daydreams.

"Uh, hey." A familiar voice snapped me back to reality. Right, I wasn't here for vacation. I had business to attend to.

I greeted Dipper as he had a seat across from me.

"Thank you for helping me." His brown eyes met mine "You really don't know how much it means to me."

I sucked in a breath, willing myself not to say "It's not like I had a choice. I lost my job and need the money. If the city counsel wasn't so shit, I wouldn't fucking be here now would I?" Thankfully I have a strong will and I let a polite smile tug the corners of my mouth.

"I couldn't turn down the offer." That was a half-truth at least. "By the way, what is it you said you do?"

This was another question that had been bothering me. He couldn't be any older than 25. My best guess was some kind of computer programmer, there was good money in that and it would make sense.

"Um-" A blush crept onto his face "I guess it really depends who you ask."

"Well, I'm asking you." I was trying not to be rude, I really was. But sometimes my tongue can be faster than my mind.

"I like to call myself a cryptozoologist-" Oh you have got to be kidding me "But I run a blog mostly."

I'm sure I deadpanned. Cryptozoologist and social media influencer. Was god pulling a prank on me or something? Was this an elaborate scheme set up by the powers that be to try and teach me a lesson? I might've thought as much if I believed in a god.

"Oh." I breathed "That's...cool." Yikes, that sounded sarcastic.

Dipper looked away, adjusting his white and blue ball-cap and embarrassed flush tinting his face. There was a tense silence as I concentrated on trying to find something to say that didn't make me sound like an asshole.

"So... is there a motel around here?"

"No, we don't have much in the way of motels. There's the camp ground, if you have a tent."

My shoulders slumped a bit in disappointment. Guess I would be sleeping in my car.

"I've got a place you can stay, though."

* * *

 

The Mystery Shack is one big con, obviously. Just like all the other tourist traps. But there was something oddly charming about the crude taxidermy "creatures" on display that put my mind at ease just a bit. My skeptical side took over a little more of my mind, the superstition being tossed to the side for a moment.

Soos and Wendy were nice. The former was a little odd, dressed in a suit with an eye-patch and fez and the latter seemed laid back, like you could grab a beer with her. They looked surprised to see Dipper.

"Woah, Dip, I didn't know you got a girlfriend!"

Or rather they were surprised to see Dipper with me. I turned to look at him, a amused half-smile on my face. The tips of his ears had turned a nice beet color.

"She's not my girlfriend!" The phrase was said shrilly, as if I had somehow teleported back to middle-school.

"I'm Kimi. I work for him now."

"Sweet dude! Glad you got someone to help you work on the journal." Soos said, counting some money.

We made our way upstairs, into an attic. It was obviously old, but it was a nice place, with two twin beds on either side of the room. A window sat at the end with a view to the yard.

"So this is where you'll be staying. Uh, I should probably warn you that no one's going to be here during the night besides me."

"That's fine." I figured as much as there was a large bag placed beside one of the beds along with a few stacks of books.

"Soos lives with his grandma and Wendy has her own place, so..." Why was he making this weird?

"I don't mind."

My eye caught the desk. There the journal sat. I guess when I saw it before, I was too busy watching Dipper's reaction and trying to figure out why he was acting so strange. But now, clear as day, emblazoned on the cover was a gold six-fingered hand with the number 3 written on it. Beside it was a notebook. Dippers gaze drifted to it too.

"Ah, yeah I got a notebook for you to write notes and stuff in."

I placed my suitcase beside the bed, intending to put my things away.

"Hey, so, um, I've got something kind of weird to ask of you."

Couldn't be any fucking weirder than this town.

"Could you try not to actually read the book?" My eyes snapped to his, an incredulous look on my face. "I know- I know that sounds stupid! But this is just really important to me. There's some really weird stuff in there and I just need some of it decrypted. You're gonna see some weird and probably private things."

I turned back to the task at hand as this kid was really getting on my nerves and I didn't want him to see the frown I wore. "Yeah, that's fine. With the amount you're paying me, I can't really say no." The brunette let go of a breath he'd been holding. I wonder if he realized how much harder he had just made this?

Dipper mutter something about taking a walk and left me to my own devices. I got unpacked and decided I should get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> xqwlo qhaw wlph, ironv!


	3. A Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper takes a walk while Kimi gets to work

Dipper walked alone in the forest. But he wasn't afraid, he knew Gravity Falls like the back of his hand. He knew the creatures that called this place home and what to do if he encountered them. The night-time breeze eased him a bit. It had been a stressful week.

You can imagine his surprise when he woke up to find Journal 3 sitting on his nightstand. Ford had tossed that thing into the bottomless pit almost as soon as Weirdmagedon ended. Carefully, ever so carefully, he had put his hand on it, unsure if it was real. You can also imagine his surprise when he found the pages fully intact and all there. He relived a lot of things that night and discovered some things he didn't know. It was tucked away safely until summer and would be shown to Ford in a "hey, I can't believe it ended up with me again" sort of way.

That is if Ford and Stan weren't missing.

Dipper tried so hard to get a hold of them. He understood why they weren't available all the time but this was just out of character. They would call, or hell, send a letter at least every few months. He knew it had to do with the journal, it just had to. Why else would it have ended up there? He scanned through the pages for weeks and tried to figure out the more complicated ciphers but he just couldn't. Hiring Kimi was a last ditch effort to try and understand where they hand gone. He needed someone close to Gravity Falls as he would be spending the summer there, like he always did. It would've been great if she hadn't been so damn stubborn about it.

Okay, so maybe he had been just a little heavy handed... but he needed to find his Grunkles. They were his family. He needed to see Ford. A chill ran up his back as he was reminded of a certain event that transpired during Weirdmaggedon. A missed shot and a statue of gold. He thought in that moment he had lost his Grunkle forever. He never wanted to feel like that again.

Dipper came to, realizing he was leaning against a tree, sweat forming on his brow. He knew exactly where he was and he knew he didn't want to be there. Another reminder of the trauma he faced. For a long moment he stood in silence, trying to collect himself. Straining to hear the sounds of the night, something to ground him. Shaky breaths escaped him before finally, he stood straight, wiping the palms of his hands on his jeans.

Swiftly, he retreated back to the shack, kicking pebbles on his way, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. Maybe he should call Mabel. That would help him calm down.

"Hey Dipstick!"

"Hey." He sighed, taking a seat on the porch bench. Hearing her voice soothed him "How's New York?"

"Oh you know, full of stuck ups. But the fashion show's gonna be great! I've got all my outfits almost ready!"

Mabel was an upcoming fashion designer. It wasn't surprising, she always had a love for it when they were young.

"That's good. I bet everyone will be lining up to buy your clothes as soon as they see them."

She made a 'psh' noise "Nah. They'll have to wait anyways. Have the Stans got to Gravity Falls yet?"

Dipper felt his hands go a bit clammy again.

"Uh, no. Not yet."

There was silence on the other end for a bit.

"Are you okay, Dipper?" It was a genuine question, Mabel knew her twin too well.

"Oh, yeah, I'm- I'm okay, sis. I'm just tired, you know, I was helping Soos out with some of the exhibits and stuff." He hated lying to her but he just couldn't tell her.

"...Well, if you say so. I hope they get there before I'm done in New York."

"Me too."

They talked for a long time, being without each other wasn't something they were good at. Finally, Dipper let her go and do whatever it was she was doing. Which was putting more glitter on the outfits.

He sighed, leaning his head back against the wood wall of the porch. Dipper wasn't lying when he claimed to be tired, he really was. Staying up to the late hours of the night could to that to a person. The brunette had always been a night owl but after the events of Weirdmaggedon, it was different. More often than not, he'd find himself laying down, only to be grasped with a feeling of dread. What if something happened while he slept? What if the dream demon came back to exact his revenge?

In some form or another, he felt that Bill had already gotten his revenge. Dipper would only ever admit it to the people that had shared the experience, he was was plagued with the lingering side-effects of trauma. Even then, he wouldn't admit to anyone how sometimes, in the wee hours of the morning when insomnia grasped him tight, he'd stare into his reflection and catch a bit of yellow in his eyes. He knew it wasn't real, but god damn, it was scary.

Half-lidded brown eyes scanned the yard, looking for a distraction. When none came, he decided it might be best to at least try and turn in for the night.

* * *

 

I was skimming the pages, trying to keep my word. I said I would try not to read it. But if I was going to get a clue as to how to decode these messages, I'd have to at least look. The notebook sat opened on the table, almost completely untouched. I needed to get an idea of what I was up against first. The pictures in the book were exactly what Dipper had claimed too, they were absolutely weird. This guy must've been on acid or something.

I flipped through, my eyes searching for anything that stood out.

"Myself"

"My muse"

"My assistant"

"An encounter"

It was hard not to continue reading these passages. There was something inside of me that craved to understand what was so important about the ramblings in this book. Eventually my hands stopped at a page that I just couldn't ignore.

"MY MUSE WAS A MONSTER"

"I WAS A PUPPET"

"F WAS RIGHT"

I furrowed my brows. Heavy ink scribbled the page and formed eyes. There were a couple of encryptions here too. Alright so he wasn't on acid, just deeply disturbed. I didn't take my eyes off of it for a long time. It gave me a bad feeling. But finally I urged my hands to keep going, ignoring the page with the triangle. I didn't want to feel anymore creeped out than I was. Finally I found what I was looking for.

CODES:  
CAESER  
ATBASH  
A1Z26

I could feel a smirk tug my lips. Chack-mate, Mr. Paranoid. Surely Dipper would understand why it was important for me to read this page.

"It occurs to me that if I must keep secrets from F, I might as well begin writing certain passages of this book in code. I aced Cryptology in college, so this will be fun! (At least for me. It would be so deeply tedious and annoying for someone trying to decipher it.) It amuses me to think of their frustrating effort!"

My smile quickly turned into a scowl. Well, it would be me who had the last laugh because yes, although it would be tedious, I could do it. You aren't the only one who aced Cryptology, cocky bastard. I scrawled down the names of the ciphers in my notebook.

"What're you doing?" I looked up to see Dipper, fiddling with his hands.

"Um... my job?"

He cringed slightly at the biting remark, rubbing the back of his neck "Ah, I only meant that it's kinda late... I wasnt expecting you to start until the morning."

Maybe I was being kind of hard on him. I sighed, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. It's been that kind of week, you know?"

He nods, looking away. "Yeah I know exactly what you mean."

"I figured out some code though" I gesture to the page.

"I don't want to be discouraging but I knew that was there. I only didn't tell you cause i though you were going to bed..."

I try to stop the scowl from sneaking back onto my face and instead put my best effort into smiling. "That's alright. I think Ill do that now, anyways."

I was tired, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this was a shorter one. I tried to do more but it just felt off to continue. So I left it that way. Anyways hope you're enjoying this. Oh, also the writing in the journal is taken directly from the published Journal 3.


	4. In a Place Like This

It had been about a week since my arrival in Gravity Falls. All of my time was, of course, dedicated to the journal. Things had gotten no easier. Not the eerie feeling, not the frustration of the book and not Dipper constantly breathing down my neck. Sure the codes were easy enough but all I could get from the damn journal were passing glances of out of context sentences and illustrations. I'm a woman of my word but it was so exasperating. Sometimes I would slip up and read things that weren't supposed to be read.  
The sun was setting and turning the sky a nice shade of pink. I felt the cool air of twilight wrapping me up in it's embrace. Dipper had gone out with little to no word, leaving me to my work. So I decided to take the liberty and give myself a break.

I needed one after all. The whiplash of change had left a deep-rooted feeling of uneasiness in my very core. Many times in the middle of my work I would stop, put down my pen and just stare blankly for a beat. "What the hell am I doing?" is the question that would always stand fore-front in my mind in those moments. I had rarely even traveled out of Plain Valley for vacation and here I was, moved to a new town out of the blue. It was if some vile cosmic force had set this all up as a sort of mean-spirited joke and I wasn't laughing along.

My thoughts were interrupted by the obnoxious screeching of the screen door. Pulled away from the back of my mind and into reality.

"Hey there." Wendy's nonchalant voice called to me. She stood with a calm smile and relaxed eyes, as usual.

"Hi." My greeting had been less than enthusiastic as I was looking to get away from everyone for a bit.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Sure." I scooted to give her some room on the bench and she took a seat.

There was a pregnant pause. I was feeling especially anti-social and although Wendy seemed alright, I wasn't ecstatic to have company.

"So how're you liking Gravity Falls?"

"It's-" I was looking for the right words. It probably wasn't a good idea to express how much the place creeped me out. "different."

Wendy let out a small snort.

"Yeah, you could say that."

I shrugged "Just not what I'm used to."

Another pause.

I had had a hard time figuring out Wendy and Soos. They weren't related to Dipper, of that I was sure. They're both older than him too so it didn't seem like they were childhood friends or anything. Why were they letting him treat their work place like a home? Family friends? It was odd to me, just like everything else in Gravity Falls. But as long as I had a place to sleep, I could get over it.

"Ya'know-" Wendy sighed "I hated this place too, a long time ago."

"I didn't say that." I mumble, a bit startled. Guess it must of been easy to see that I wasn't having a good time.

"I know but I can just tell. It's ok. Its plain weird here." She laughed to herself a bit "But also pretty fucking amazing."

"Sure."

"But, hey-" She shot me a smile after rising from her seat "If you think it's weird now, just wait. You haven't seen the half of it, dude." With a wave and a goodbye, she headed to her car.

Well that was... cryptic. What did she mean by that? My brows furrowed as I watched her pull away in her car. I groaned, running my hands over my face. This place was really getting to me. Not that I wanted to admit it to anyone. I rarely spoke to anyone there. I knew almost little to none about these people and I had been living here for a week. But it just felt odd to try and warm up to people I planned to get away from as quickly as possible. 

Soos was an alright guy, I thought. He was always cracking jokes. Wendy was cool-headed and laid-back. Someone I had no trouble with getting along with. And then there was Dipper. He was the real mystery. He was nervous and fidgety almost all the time. I couldn't help but wonder if he was always like that or if something happened to him. Either way, I suppose it wasn't really my business. I just couldn't help but wonder...

I hadn't explored the surrounding area at all since my arriving. My wandering mind was just making me uncomfortable. Maybe a walk would help? Yeah, that might be good for me.

I made my way down from the porch. Twilight had fully set in, everything was shades of dark blue and purple. But that was okay, I could be back before it got really dark. I scanned the area, looking at the deep forest and finally my eyes met a small trail. That would work.

The air smelled of pines and ferns as I walked deeper into the woods. Nature had a habit of calming me. It was a welcome calm too. Some of the passages I had decrypted and some things I had read accidentally had unnerved me. But for a moment I could just be here, in a forest soaked with dark hues. The sounds of crickets and nightingales replacing the hum of a fan and the scratching of pencil on paper. I could just close my eyes and soak it all in, letting my feet take me wherever they wished. Nothing matters in a place like this. The outside world fades away and it's just you and the trees. Trees that are older than your bloodline. Trees that have seen everything that has occurred and will occur.  
Finally, after the place had left me serene, did I open my eyes. 

I squinted, trying to see where I was. Night had fallen much faster than I had expected. Or had I just been out for a while? I couldn't tell. What I could tell was that I wouldn't be able to get back without light. My fingers fumbled in my pocket for a bit, searching for my phone. After retrieving it, I turned on the flashlight. The image I was met with almost made me scream from shock.

In front of me stood a statue. A very familiar one.

"Fucking Christ!" I jumped back instinctively.

If you were not me and you did not know what I know, you might think it a funny little statue. A triangle with an eye, top-hat and bow-tie with one arm outstretched as if to greet you. It was sank partially into the ground as if it had been there for a very long time.

My heart pounded in my ears.

"Get a hold of yourself, Kim" I said through gritted teeth "It's just stone. You're fine."

After a moment, I finally did. Breathing deep and letting my anxiety go. Or at least most of it.

"Okay. Not so scary, are you?" My eyes squinted to get a better look at it. I could just approach it. Yes, I was being stupid, it was just a statue. I inched towards it slowly, as if it could jump at me at any second. When I was nearly a foot away, I leaned down to inspect it.

"Now, let's get a look at you." My eyes surveyed the smooth stone "Lot's of moss, suggesting you've been here a while. Plus the sinking. I'd say, first guess, maybe 40 to 50 years old? No wait-" Now I was kneeling in front of it, scrutinizing the details "Not weathered enough. In fact, little to no weathering. You'd be more cracked and scratched if you were that old." I bit at my lip, thinking. It didn't make much sense. The ground here didn't feel soft enough for something so young to sink so quickly. 

"Can't be any older than a decade..."

Which means, a voice chimed in my head, whatever it represents is still around, probably. I could've sworn a chill ran through the air in that moment of realization.

"Okay," I hastily stood "This has been fun but that's enough creepy shit for one night."

Something became clear to me as I stood. No crickets chirped. No nightingales sang. It was complete alarming silence. It's fine, I told myself, stop freaking yourself out. Then a crack split through the silence. Something heavy stepping on a twig. I stilled in fear. Whatever that was, it sounded big. For the second time that night, my heart pounded. I held onto my breath, scared out of my mind.

A moment passed.

Then another.

Then another.

I let go of the breath and laughed to myself a little to ease the fear. "Jeez, Kim, it was probably just a deer, stop freaking out." I smiled to myself a bit and walked on.

Only to be met by something large. Something terrifying. 

And it was running straight for me.


	5. The Bad News

The crunch of leaf litter was loud beneath my feet. Not as loud as this- this thing that was chasing me, however.

  
I had not felt true, heart-pounding adrenaline like this in a long, long time. It was almost as if I was disassociating. My legs flew underneath me uncontrollably but rhythmically, arms keeping momentum. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears almost as loud as the screaming gorilla-like grunts from behind me. I didn't have time to process it. My fight or flight response had already taken hold and it chose flight. Gasping breaths escaped me. Sure, I could scream, but the adrenaline decided it to be counter-productive. Instead conserving my lung capacity.

  
God, how far had I gone? 

  
The thought escaped me as I tripped over what I can only assume was a tree root. My body tumbled, the air knocked out of me.

  
C'mon! Get up! Get up!

  
I was stumbling all over the place.

  
Please get up! I don't want to die!

  
I tripped again, this time swiveling to land on my back, phone landing somewhere to the right of me. The white light it emitted shined up into the canopy of the forest, bathing the surrounding area in a soft glow. It was then that I was faced with the creature.

  
It was absolutely massive. Easily the height of two men with wide shoulders. What scared me the most was the teeth. The thing had teeth as long as butchers knives. And it's eyes-

  
But it wasn't there anymore. Instead replaced with flashing visions.

  
There were bodies everywhere. Piled on top of each other, hung in the trees. Eyes gauged out. Then, the sky was red and orange. Fire. Lots of fire. People ran and screamed, trying to get it off of them, to put it out. The smell of burning flesh made me want to gag. Finally, it was only me in a lightless void. I could feel a familiar sting of cuts springing up from nowhere. I could feel the wetness of my own blood and hands on me.  
"Get away!" A male voice yelled.

  
I blinked, horror grasping at me. Someone was screaming. I couldn't see the full beast anymore in the flashlight of my phone. Instead I saw a silhouette. I realized where I was. It was me who was screaming.

  
Before I realized what happened, there was a loud thumping of feet on the path and a whine that got quieter and quieter.

  
The man's hands dropped to his sides. He was holding something but I couldn't make out what it was. There was silence for a moment and finally, I collapsed letting sobs over-take me.

  
A hand rested on my arm.

  
"Don't!" I recoiled with a sob. The vision being too fresh in my mind.

  
"Kim..." I was hyperventilating now "Kimi. Breathe. You're okay now."

  
I opened my eyes, tears blurring my vision. But I could make him out now. Messy brown hair, blue and white ball cap, backpack...

  
"Dipper?" I tried to take a breath "Dipper, what the fuck?!"

  
He was kneeling in front of me, hands on his knees. The thing he was holding, I could see it more clearly now. It looked like some sort of hand mirror. His expression was... sad? Or maybe ashamed would be the better word.

  
"Let's get you back to the shack." He said with a sigh.

* * *

"Well the good news is you won't need stitches." I hissed through gritted teeth as Dipper cleaned the deep cut on my knee. The fall I took had scratched me up pretty bad.

  
"What's the bad news?" I grumbled, leaning against the kitchen table in my seat. Dipper was kneeled in front of me, rag and peroxide in hand. For a while he was slient in contemplation. Probably figuring out what exactly to say. His hands worked methodically to press the rag into my wound, cleaning all the dirt and excess blood. A roll of medical bandages sat on the table. I had been rolling it around out of anxiety. It was hard for me not to fidget at a time like this and better it be the bandages than my legs. I didn't want to make this more painful.

  
"We're going to have to, uh, talk about this." He plucked the bandage roll from the table after deciding he had cleaned it thoroughly enough.

  
"Right." I pressed my mouth into my palm, inhaling deeply and closing my eyes which were now burning with hot tears.

  
What the hell had happened? What was that thing? It was just too much to process.

  
"I'm not sure this isn't all just a bad dream. That I'm going to wake up any second and it'll all be over." The tremor in my voice was obvious but I couldn't help it. I glanced at him as his hands slowed as his brows knit together, thinking again.

  
"I... I don't know what to tell you, Kim."

  
"Tell me it's not real."

  
Dipper sighed, finishing his work and leaning back on his legs, closing his eyes with- well I'm not sure what it was. Frustration? Exasperation? Sadness? 

  
"Tell me this isn't another mistake in a long line of grievances I can't fix."

  
"I can't." He used the table to support him as he stood, not looking me in the eye.

  
"I didn't want you to get hurt. That- that was never my-" I cut him off, slamming my fist onto the table.

  
"Then why didn't you fucking tell me, Dipper!?" A snarl contorted my face. I was so so pissed and confused and- and... and I was ugly crying now. Deep sobs wrenched at me, making me cover my face. It was too much.

  
"Would you've believed me?" He sighed.

  
It was a simple question but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Of course I wouldn't have but didn't I have a right to know what I was getting into? Didn't I have a right to know this place was more fucked than I thought? 

  
"Kim, you're in shock. You should get some rest."

  
"No!" I stood now, almost stumbling on my bad leg but regaining what little composure I had. "You're going to tell me what the fuck is going on here. You're lucky I don't run out now!" My voice was almost even with vexation but my body betrayed me with uncontrollable shaking.

  
"Okay, o-okay. I'll explain." Dippers hands flew up in a defensive sort of way. "Just let me see how bad you scratched up your back first, alright?"

  
I sniffed wiping my eyes hastily "Whatever."

  
I sat backwards on the kitchen chair, arms crossed on it's back and feeling absolutely shit. Gingerly, Dipper raised my shirt. He made a hiss as if it was really bad. I couldn't blame him. In any other moment than this, I might make a fit about someone seeing my scars. But honestly, in my state of psychological shock, I just couldn't find it in myself to give a damn.

  
"Christ," he muttered "what happened?"

  
I didn't care to answer him. Nothing gave him the right to know. There was a tense silence as he washed fresh scratches and skins. I was too tired to even protest to the stinging pain of the peroxide. As he moved his way up my back I heard him make a light "oh" sound.

  
"What?" I murmured.

  
"Nothing. Just like your tattoo is all."

  
I reflexively moved my hand to the back of my left shoulder, not being able to feel the ink but just knowing it was there.

  
"It's an arrowhead." I mumbled, exhausted, as he continued his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF kim isn't having a good time.
> 
> Hope ya'll had a happy holidays and I hope you're enjoying the series. I'm sorry that chapters are sporadic but this is just a story to get me better at writing and to entertain myself lol
> 
> Anyways, comments and constructive criticisms are always greatly appreciated <3 Thank you for reading!


	6. Real or Not Real

Dipper was trying his best, he really was. I know my stubbornness and vexation wasn't helping with the situation but can you really blame me? My whole world had been flipped upside down in a matter of hours. Everything I thought to be true was now false and my own skepticism had betrayed me.

  
I was sitting beside him on my bed, journal in my lap. Green eyes stared down at the life-like illustration of the monster I had encountered earlier.

  
"This is a gremloblin." He gestured to the carefully scrawled word at the top of he page. What a ridiculous name. But I didn't voice my thought, instead glaring down at the page in silence, trying to process it all.

  
This whole time, I thought this journal to be written by a mad man. Had I been the mad one? Surely not, I couldn't have known of this danger. But a voice nagged at the back of my head. It sounded like my mother, saying something along the lines of 'I told you so".

  
The brunette fidgeted as I read the words on the page. I had seen this illustration in a passing glance and thought nothing of it. It was as weird as everything else in the book. The author spoke of their meeting with this creature and an assistant of theirs. My brows knit together at the mention of magnet guns and hyper-drives. Something I had no knowledge of existing, like I was reading some sort of weird sci-fi fantasy novel. They detailed how they knocked the creature out with the gun. 

  
The air was tense as I finished the passage. I shut the book with a light snap, my hand resting of the gold foil hand on the cover.

  
"Dipper," I croaked, mouth feeling dry "Who wrote this?"

  
"My great-uncle, Stanford."

  
"Why am I decoding this?" I had never asked before because he was paying me well and I didn't think... well, I didn't think anything like this would happen, obviously. But the way I saw it, my life was now in danger. He sighed deeply, as if he knew this would happen eventually.

  
"He's missing. Along with his brother, my other great uncle, Stanley."

  
"And you think it could reveal the whereabouts of his location."

  
"Yeah."

  
Another bout of silence ensued. God, it was just too much. Too much to process and think about. There was also another matter that I wanted to ignore entirely. I opened the book again, intent on finding what I was looking for. The sound of shuffling pages sliced through the quiet. Finally, I found it and turned the book to Dipper, pointing at the drawing.

  
"This thing," I murmured "is it real too?"

  
He grimaced, staring at the page. But could see him evaluating the question. He knew this whole operation banked on his answer. That I would run out if it wasn't a good enough one.

  
"He was."

  
I sat the book back on my lap, feeling suddenly nauseous.

  
"Who is he?"

  
BILL CIPHER was the name hastily scribbled at the top of the page. But that wasn't enough for me.

  
"That's... a really long story."

  
"I have time." I was already in this deep.

  
I didn't sleep that night. Instead opting to read the journal. Dipper had given me the go-ahead. I suppose the way he saw it, I was in on the secret now and there was no reason to hold the information back and maybe, just maybe I would decide to stay. That was unlikely. But my curiosity got the better of me. As he slept, I was fervently skimming the pages, flashlight in hand. To say the least, I was disturbed.

  
Why me? Why had I been the one to come to this place? Maybe it was bad luck. But would it have been better to be completely ignorant? I wasn't sure. I had never believed in fate. The world, in my mind, was all by chance. Everything was chaos. It might have well been chosen why the roll of the dice. But now, anything was possible. Demons, monsters and other dimensions were now not so far fetched. Reality, even. Which means, everything my mother told me was possibly true. More true than it ever had been before.  
And that scared me. It meant many things that I was just not ready to accept yet.

  
I shut the book when my gaze met a page titled "a Bit of History" in bold cursive. I was already over-whelmed and feared conformation of my mother's stories. For a long time after closing the journal, I sat up in bed, just contemplating everything that had happened. I can't tell you how long exactly, just that by the time I was done, morning light was streaming in through the attic window.

  
A shower didn't help. Neither did making breakfast. These were all just distractions to avoid a traumatizing truth. By the time Dipper woke up, I was sitting at the kitchen table. Two plates stacked with sausages, eggs and toast waited for us both. But they had already gone cold, I was too anxious to eat. 

  
He looked at me like I was a ghost. Which is funny now that ghosts were probably real.

  
"Morning." The brunette said cautiously "I thought you would have, uh, left by now."

  
I inhaled deeply, wondering if this was a bad idea. But if fate was now real, who was I to deny it?

  
"I'm staying."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short chapter but hey, it's better than nothing, I think. thanks for reading <3


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